This investigation will study several different volatile metal chelates that are likely to form thin films of high transition temperature superconducting material when deposited by metal - organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). These studies will include the synthesis and characterization of beta-diketonates of barium, copper, and several rare-earth metals. These compounds as well as related known compounds that are on-hand will be used to determine the conditions necessary for thin film deposition and oxidation to yield superconducting layers on substrates such as copper and flexible fused-silica. Characterization of the resulting material will be made by powder x-ray diffraction and by measurement.
